Thursday, February 28, 2013

Guest Post from Mercola.com

I am excited today to have a guest post from Mercola.com, the world's #1 natural health website! I have visited the Mercola site many times as a great resource for natural health information. They cover everything from nutrition and fitness, to the health of your pets and home.

My hubby and I have been working hard lately to be healthier and care for the bodies God has given us. It's definitely a challenge, but great to have resources to guide us along the way. One of the biggest changes we have made is the way we eat. We have started eating fresh, organic foods and cutting out processed sugary foods. It sure makes a big difference!

What are some things you do to keep you and your family healthy?

The following article from Mercola.com discusses how what we eat is so important. If we aren't getting the proper vitamins and minerals it can be detrimental to our health. This is especially true of our children. Here's some great tips on how to take control of your child's health and make sure they are getting the proper nutrition through what they eat or even through supplementing!

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Why Your Child May Be Deficient in Minerals

Many people may suffer from a
certain type of deficiencyin minerals, such as zinc, iron, calcium, and magnesium, and have no idea
that they do. Each of these minerals support an important function in your body,
and having insufficient levels can give way to certain symptoms.

Unfortunately, these deficiencies
can also happen in children. One of the most common reasons why this occurs is
the quality of food you and your kids eat.

Mineral Deficiency Through Diet

Many children prefer eating
processed food, such as fast food and soda, to eating healthful whole foods.

Advertisements deceive you by saying
that these products are fortified with vitamins and minerals. Such products contain
synthetic varieties of nutrients as well as artificial colors and flavors,
preservatives, and other additives. They may also contain high amounts of
calories, trans fat, and sugar, which all contribute to poor health.

On the other hand, other types of
diet, like vegetarian/vegan diet and high-grain diets, can lower levels of
trace minerals in your body. For instance, these diets have low zinc
bioavailability because of their high amounts of phytic acids, which can impair
absorption.

The Role of Soil in Supplying Minerals

While processed food is a poor
nutrition source, whole foods may also be at risk for delivering inadequate nutrition.

Eating foods cultivated from
mineral-deficient soil is a huge problem. Commercial or large-scale farming
practices, like monocropping (the process of planting huge areas of land with
the same crop year after year), deplete the soil of essential minerals.

According to an article in Time World, 40 percent of the world’s soil used for agriculture is categorized as
degraded or seriously degraded. Because of unsustainable practices, the
world is losing its fertile topsoil at a rate 10 to 40 times the rate it
can be replenished.

The soil is also losing the
microorganisms that make it better at nurturing crops and store water and
nutrients. These beneficial microbes require carbon to survive, but they become
deprived of it because of chemical fertilizer use, overgrazing, genetically
modified crops, and other commercial farm practices.

It’s not a mystery why whole
foods are depleted of minerals and why even whole foods are causing suboptimal
health. One solution is to support farmers who use sustainable methods of
cultivation. Organic food possesses a higher concentration of essential
minerals that can promote proper body function. The cost of organic produce may be higher, but it’s a wise investment for your family’s well-being.

What Causes Ineffective Mineral Absorption?

It is possible that you are
consuming adequate amounts of mineral dietary sources but are not absorbing
them effectively. This can depend on your digestive health, specifically on
your stomach’s supply of hydrochloric acid (HCL). Some minerals – such as zinc,
iron, calcium, and magnesium – are dependent on your body’s supply of HCL, and
may not be absorbed effectively with low levels of HCL.

Several reasons for decrease in
the production of HCL include use of certain medications, like proton pump
inhibitors (PPIs). Research has shown that PPIs inhibit the absorption of
minerals, such as magnesium and iron. ACE inhibitors and thiazide diuretics can
also deplete your body of trace minerals.

In order to avoid the use of
medications in the first place, you need to optimize your and your children’s
health. While drugs are manufactured to relieve disorders, they also have side
effects on your health, specifically your digestive health, and may disrupt the
natural healing capability of your body.

About the Author:

Adrienne Razon is a writer from
Mercola.com. She has written numerous articles about nutrition and fitness. At
the moment, she is researching zinc deficiency symptoms
in children and how this deficiency can be prevented.

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

"Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."